The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes
by KAHOPEd00l
Summary: An AU for S3E13 'Moon Dance'. When Daphne offers to give a newly-divorced Niles dance lessons for the upcoming Snow Ball and then ends up being his date, their relationship changes drastically. But will it be for the better?
1. Chapter 1

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter One

…

Author's Note:

This is my first ever attempt at writing fan-fiction. I have been a long time reader and have always wanted to try writing some of my own but the inspiration never truly struck until I watched the entire series of Frasier for the second time. I was so inspired by Daphne and Niles' relationship and all of the possibilities for stories that I couldn't stop thinking about it until I finally sat down and wrote it. I hope that I have done it justice.

Just for reference, this story is based on Season 3, Episode 13 "Moon Dance". The first few chapters are a bit dialogue heavy but then it becomes much more AU. Also, for the purpose of this story, Niles and Maris were already divorced by this time.

…

As Daphne entered the apartment with a basket full of clean laundry under her arm, she saw Mr. Crane sitting in his chair. As soon as he saw her come through the door he called out to her.

"Hey, Daphne. Bring that laundry over here, will ya?"

"What for," she replied.

"I was just reading about an intelligence test you can give your dog. You throw a towel over its head and see how long it takes him to shake it off."

As she handed him a towel he yelled,

"Eddie!"

The dog came right away and sat patiently while Mr. Crane placed the towel over his head. Daphne looked back and forth between the dog and his owner with a slightly bemused smirk on her face. The hours that man could spend entertained by the silliest things as long as they had even the most remote connection to his beloved companion. It was sweet really and she was happy that he had something that brought him so much joy.

"Oh, and the faster he takes the towel off, the smarter he is," she said in an attempt to keep the conversation flowing.

"No, the faster he folds it," he replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and thought to herself how lucky he was that she had developed such a soft spot for him over the last three years because he really had a knack for pushing people's buttons and he certainly had the role of the crotchety old man down pat.

As he picked up the stop watch, he said, "All right. Now they ranked all the dogs and the smartest was a Border collie. He did it in seven seconds."

His eyes went back and forth between the dog and the stop watch and he said,

"All right. Come on, boy. Take it off. Six…" he paused to look once more at Eddie who sat stock still with the towel exactly where Mr. Crane had placed it. He continued,

"…seven…okay."

Eddie still sat in the same position but Mr. Crane refused to give up and as Daphne smiled to herself he said,

"Well, the next fastest one was a poodle. I know he's as smart as a poodle."

Despite Mr. Crane's confidence in him, the time ticked on and Eddie remained beneath the towel.

"Okay, so he's no poodle," he said, beginning to sound a bit defeated. "He's not a beagle, either. Or a German shepherd…or a Labrador. Oh for God's sake, Eddie!"

Daphne found herself feeling a bit sorry for him so she offered up the best comfort she could think of.

"Yes, well if you ask me, he's refusing to do that trick because he knows if he does it right you'll have him doing it every time we have company."

And just like that Mr. Crane's smile returned.

"Hey, I'll bet you're right," he exclaimed. "Nice going, Eddie!"

Daphne chuckled to herself and the thought occurred to her that if everyone loved someone or something as much as Mr. Crane loved Eddie, the world would be a much better place.

Just then the doorbell rang and Daphne went to answer it. She was pleased to find Dr. Crane on the other side of the door. She always loved when the elder Dr. Crane's younger brother decided to drop by for a visit. He always managed to brighten her day with his kind words and soothing presence.

She gave him a big smile and happily chirped,

"Oh, hello, Dr. Crane."

Much to her surprise, he didn't respond with one of his usual "Hello, Daphne's", followed by a compliment. Instead he entered the apartment and replied,

"I appreciate the false cheer Daphne, but I'm sure you've seen this. Today's society page?"

As Dr. Crane neared his father, Mr. Crane covered his ears and shouted in mock horror, "Don't tell me! Don't tell me! Don't tell me! I'm saving it for after dinner."

Daphne rolled her eyes as the elder Crane's sarcasm decided to come out to play for the second time that day.

Dr. Crane was hardly rude to her when she had answered the door - in fact he was as polite as he ever was. But his departure from the usual attention and almost adoration that she had become used to him bestowing upon her, as well as the nervous energy emanating from within him, had her a bit worried. She didn't have to wonder for long about the cause of his angst though, as he then spoke up and said,

"Apparently, Maris is going on a three-week cruise. Her friends threw her a 'Bon Voyage' party. Look at the photo," he pointed to the newspaper. "Maris on the arm of Pierson Broadwater."

Of course it was something to do with his ex-wife. She seemed to be the cause of most of his worries for as long as she'd known him. She knew it wasn't her place to have any thoughts about his divorce and it certainly wasn't her place to have any feelings about the ex-Mrs. Crane. After all, she hardly knew her outside of the snippets of conversation she'd overheard. But nonetheless, she couldn't help but feel a bit relieved that Dr. Crane had managed to break free from this woman who had caused him so much heartache.

Dr. Crane was so different than every other man she had ever known. Of course, the elder Dr. Crane was a wonderful man as well and she could very easily see that much of their greatness had come from being raised by Mr. Crane who, from what Daphne had learned over the time she had known him, was quite possibly the most exemplary man and father she had ever met. But there was something else to the younger Dr. Crane. Aside from all of the wonderful qualities that had been both inherited from and instilled in him by his father, he possessed the most beautiful soul of anyone she had ever encountered. He was truly a unique and amazing person and she felt it a great honor that he counted her among his closest friends. She didn't believe she would ever be able to wrap her head around the thought that someone could be lucky enough to be married to a wonderful man like Dr. Crane and not count their blessings for it every day.

Her heart ached for him as she saw the look of sadness on his face and she traced his line of sight until her eyes landed upon the photograph that he was referring to. In reality, the photo seemed to be innocent enough and so in an attempt to cheer him up a bit she said,

"Oh, Dr. Crane, look. She's just standing there barely touching him with just the tiniest bit of a smile on her face."

"I know," he replied. "You can practically hear the zing, zing, zing, of her heartstrings."

"Oh, Dr. Crane," she sighed.

His desperation and sadness were very apparent and she felt a pang in her heart at the thought of him being so upset. She felt as though there was nothing else she could do for him as she had run out of ideas on how to cheer him up, but she thought perhaps Mr. Crane would be able to give him some good advice that would help him to feel better. She hoped that was the case as she walked past him to bring the laundry basket back to her room.

…

As she returned back into the living room she saw that Mr. Crane was indeed talking to his son but he didn't quite seem back to himself yet. She spotted some leftover dishes from lunch on the table so she went and picked them up and brought them into the kitchen. From her spot in front of the sink she found that she could hear the conversation that the two men were having with one another. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop but she couldn't help what she overheard.

The first voice was that of Mr. Crane.

"It wouldn't hurt you to go out a little bit every once in a while, too," he said to his son.

Well, that wasn't exactly the advice that she had in mind.

"If you're suggesting that I start dating you can save your breathe," she heard Dr. Crane reply.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, despite his grief, he still had his good sense and even he knew that dating at that moment in time would be a bad idea.

"Women don't exactly find me irresistible," he continued.

She felt awful for him. She wished he could see how special he was. She also marveled at the fact that he wasn't being chased by every woman in Seattle and then she briefly wondered what in the hell was wrong with all of them for not being able to see something so great right before their eyes. Then she heard Mr. Crane say,

"Oh come on Niles. You've had lots of girlfriends."

"Oh," he replied. "Let's count. There's Maris," he paused. "Oh, Dora, my childhood pen pal from Costa Rica. I seem to recall a little girl in the fourth grade who lured me to a stairwell to show me her underpants."

Daphne knew that he was being completely serious but she couldn't help but chuckle at that one. Just imagining Dr. Crane and how adorable he must've been at that age and then trying to picture what shade of red his little face must've turned. Knowing how sensitive to potentially embarrassing or uncomfortable situations he was at this point in his life, she could only imagine how much worse he was at that age.

She was pulled out of her daydream and back into reality by Mr. Crane's voice saying,

"You know, Niles, I think your problem is, you still picture yourself as that same geeky kid you were in high school. But you've come a long way since then and you're not doing yourself and favors sitting home every night. Now just think about it."

" _Oh, there he goes again with the dating thing_ ," she thought to herself. She decided that she should probably come up with a way to change the subject before Dr. Crane actually began to consider his father's well-meaning, but nonetheless, poor advice. She spotted a bottle of wine on the kitchen counter and grabbed it on her way into the living room. She held it up and said,

"Wine, Dr. Crane?"

"Well, wouldn't you," he replied.

She gave him a bit of a confused look and then decided that since she hadn't the foggiest idea what he was talking about, maybe it wasn't the right time to return to the conversation after all, so she turned around and went back into the kitchen to finish her work.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Two

Daphne listened with as much patience as she could muster up as Mr. Crane continued to talk about the man at the dog park. She finally snapped and they began arguing before the elevator doors finally opened and they were able to step out onto the nineteenth floor. They continued to bicker as the elevator doors closed once again with poor Eddie still sitting inside. As Mr. Crane came to Eddie's rescue by pushing the call button, Daphne opened the door to their apartment. As Eddie ran past her feet, she looked up and noticed that Dr. Crane was standing in the living room.

"Oh, hello, Dr. Crane," she greeted him.

"Hello. I let myself in, I hope that's alright."

"Fine. What's up," Mr. Crane replied.

As Daphne hung her and Mr. Crane's coats, she noticed that Dr. Crane's body language changed ever so slightly before he responded to his father. He stood up a little taller and lifted his chin a bit before saying,

"I just stopped by to ask you a question. Are you free Saturday night?"

"Sure," Mr. Crane responded.

Dr. Crane's face broke into a wide grin and he said,

"Well, I'm not. I have a date!"

His statement took Daphne a bit by surprise. He had seemed so against the idea of dating just the day before. Apparently Mr. Crane's advice had a bigger impact on his son than she had previously thought. The thought of Dr. Crane dating made Daphne a bit uneasy. His divorce had only been finalized for a few months and Daphne wasn't sure if he was really emotionally ready to dive headfirst into another relationship.

" _Of course, no one said anything about a relationship. It was just one date, after all. And he does seem more excited than I've seen him in a long time,_ " Daphne thought to herself.

The old adage 'the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else' had never really worked for her personally but who's to say that it wouldn't work for Dr. Crane? Maybe a date - or even a little fling - was just what he needed. It would certainly boost his confidence at the very least. Even though it made her more uncomfortable than she cared to admit, Daphne decided to be happy for him and hope her gut feeling was wrong.

"Bravo, Dr. Crane," she cheered.

"Good for you! Who is she," Mr. Crane asked.

"Marjorie Nash," Dr. Crane responded, "the 'fruit on the bottom' yogurt heiress. I bumped into her at the Frye museum. Before I knew it your advice was thundering in my ears. I found myself asking her out. We'll be attending our club's annual winter dance, the Snow Ball."

Daphne found herself growing more and more excited for him as she saw his excitement growing with each word he spoke. She was happy that he was happy. He certainly deserved it. He was such a kind man and a good friend to her.

"Oh, good for you," Mr. Crane said to his son.

"What's she like," Daphne asked.

"Well, she's terribly haughty and rumors persist about her husband's death, but still a date's a date!"

She sounded a bit too much like Mrs. Crane for Daphne's comfort. The gnawing feeling that she had been trying somewhat successfully to squash since he told her about the date, returned full force. She was trying to be supportive of her friend but she was really starting to feel like her gut was onto something. This whole dating thing was a bad idea.

" _But he looks so excited,_ " she thought to herself. " _He looks like a little boy on Christmas morning. And honestly, who are you to decide what's right or wrong for Dr. Crane? Just let him be happy and do whatever you can to help._ "

"The Snow Ball! Sounds very glamorous," she said, trying to convince herself that this was actually a good idea.

"I didn't know you could dance," Mr. Crane said.

"Well, I can't," Dr. Crane replied. His excitement faded just a bit. "Oh, dear. You don't think she'll want me to? I've taken Maris to dozens of these things. She's never once asked me to dance. Of course, Maris dislikes public displays of rhythm."

He paused and Daphne thought to herself how every single tidbit of information that she had ever been told about Mrs. Crane made her seem odder and odder. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Dr. Crane saying,

"Oh, this is terrible. My first date is a miserable failure before it even begins. I'll just have to cancel."

"Poor Dr. Crane," Daphne thought.

As he quickly began to revert back to his depressive state, Daphne realized she had to do something – and quick.

"All you need are a few dancing lessons. I'd be happy to give you some," she said.

"You would," he asked, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.

His smiled warmed Daphne's heart and she knew immediately that she'd done the right thing.

"Yeah, growing up, I used to practice all the time with me brother Billy, the ballroom dancer."

He paused for a moment before he said,

"Well, I couldn't prevail on you like that. It'd be too much trouble." He looked up and into Daphne's eyes for a split second and then down to the coffee table and said, "We'll have to move this."

While Dr. Crane pushed the table out of the way Daphne chuckled to herself.

" _That didn't take much convincing,_ " she thought.

She was pleased to see that his excitement had returned ten-fold.

Mr. Crane got up and moved to sit at the table and Dr. Crane focused his attention on the chair that was now in the middle of their dance floor.

"Okay, push the chair back," he said. Try as he might to move it, it seemed that he couldn't make the chair budge. "Or not."

Daphne chuckled and moved it out of the way. She walked up and stood directly in front on Dr. Crane and said,

"Alright, we'll start with a box step."

"Box step," he mimicked.

"It's very simple. You take my hand, like so," she grabbed his left hand with her right, "and your other hand goes around my waist." She guided his left arm around her and continued, "Now, start with your left foot."

"Which one," he joked.

She laughed and said,

"Oh, hush! You step towards me then bring your right foot forward and over and slide the left over to meet it." He followed her movements and she continued, "Then the right foot goes back, the left back and over and the right slides to meet it. And that's it," she chirped excitedly.

He seemed to be catching on quick enough and she was a bit more confident this time as she said,

"All right, once again. And a-one, two –oh!-," she squealed as he stepped on her foot. She continued on as though nothing had happened. "-three, two, two, three, three, two, three, a-four, two three-."

"This is boring yet difficult," he said while looking down and concentrating on his feet.

From his seat at the table, Martin interjected,

"Oh, there's no trick to dancing. It's just a matter of coordination. Hell, if you can ride a bike or skip rope or kick a ball, you can certainly…"

His voice faded into silence before he got up and walked out of the room. Daphne groaned internally and thought,

" _Oh, yes. That will certainly build up his confidence, old man!_ "

She refocused her attention on Dr. Crane and said,

"All right, once again. And a-one, two –oh!-," she brushed it off as he stepped on her foot again, "-three, two…"

Maybe this would be a bit more work than she had bargained for.

…...

They had been practicing for a few hours and Dr. Crane had improved greatly in just that short time.

"You're really doing very well Dr. Crane," Daphne said encouragingly. "Earlier you seemed a bit tense. You've really relaxed though now, haven't you?"

Before he could answer her, Mr. Crane returned to the living room and said,

"Hey, you two are looking pretty sharp."

Daphne turned her attention to him and replied,

"Well, I think we're ready to move on to the samba."

An idea popped into her head and she couldn't resist. She looked square at Mr. Crane and called out,

"Eddie, fetch me a samba tape. Xavier Cugat," she paused to gage his reaction before continuing, "Now he's thinking 'the later Hollywood stuff or the early New York recordings?'"

He raised his eyebrow and said,

"Now guess what I'm thinking?"

"I'll get it myself," she replied with a smirk as she ran out of the living room.

When she returned with the tape she'd found, she saw Mr. Crane heading toward his bedroom and figured that he must be going to sleep for the night.

"I couldn't find any Cugie, but this'll do," she said to Dr. Crane as she put the tape in the stereo. "Alright now, in the samba you have to hold me a little closer. You ready?"

"Daphne, there's one thing I wanted to mention," he said.

"Yeah," she asked as she placed herself in front of him.

"I'm a dancer," he replied, "a dancer dances!"


	3. Chapter 3

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Three

…

Author's Note:

While the rest of this story has been and will continue to be from Daphne's perspective, I wanted to include a snippet in Niles' POV because I really felt that it was important to show that he did feel a bit guilty for misleading Daphne. Also this is where the story starts to become a bit more AU.

…

-Niles' POV-

They had been having lessons for the past two days. His dancing had improved dramatically.

" _Of course, with a teacher as wonderful as Daphne, how could it not,_ " he thought to himself.

But the guilt was really starting to wear away at him. There was no need to learn to dance now that Marjorie had cancelled their date but the temptation of being allowed to be that close to Daphne and hold her in his arms was too great. He was only human after all. But still, he didn't feel right about lying to her. She deserved better than that. He decided that he had to tell her the truth.

He arrived at Frasier's apartment at 2:00PM for his lesson, just as he had the day before and the day before that. Only this time when she answered the door, he wasn't smiling.

She however, greeted him with her usual smile that made even the Seven Wonders seem ordinary, and a cheery,

"Good afternoon, Dr. Crane!"

Before he responded, he took a moment to look at her. She was so beautiful that he momentarily forgot what he had come there to do. She was wearing a navy blue V-neck t-shirt, light-wash jeans, and white low-top converse and her hair was pulled into a ponytail at the crown of her head. He marveled at how she managed to make this simple look seem worthy of walk down the red carpet.

"Good afternoon, Daphne and don't you look lovely," he said.

"Oh, go on," she replied chuckling.

She never believed his sincerity when he said those kinds of things to her. Which he supposed was for the best – he would never want to make her uncomfortable – but still; he wished that she could see herself the way that he did. She was truly the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen and every piece of clothing and every accessory that she wore was only made more beautiful simply because she was wearing it. And that wasn't even taking into account her inner beauty – the virtues of which he could write novels about.

He realized that they were both now sitting on the sofa and that she was waiting for him to say something. Then he remembered what he had come there to do. He took a deep breath and began,

"Daphne, there's something that I have to tell you."

Her smile faded and she replied,

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just have a bit of bad news. Unfortunately, something has come up and Marjorie has had to cancel our date so I guess I won't really be needing this last dance lesson."

As he looked at her, he could swear that he saw something shift in her eyes and she almost looked a bit sad. He had certainly spent enough time studying the wonders of her beautiful face to catch even the most subtle change. He continued,

"I just wanted to come over today and tell you in person how much I've appreciated everything you've done for me; spending all this time teaching me. I know I wasn't the easiest pupil at times, but you were so patient and kind and I've really enjoyed our time together."

She was still staring at him with that strange look in her eye and he began to wonder what exactly she was thinking…

…

-Daphne's POV-

 _"Oh poor Dr. Crane! How could she cancel on him? The poor thing was just starting to get his confidence back,_ " she thought to herself.

She could barely hear him over her thoughts but then she registered that he was saying something about appreciating what she'd done for him and that he'd enjoyed it. To be honest, she'd been enjoying it as well. It was a bit rocky in the beginning but once he'd stopped stepping on her feet, it had really become quite enjoyable.

"Oh, Dr. Crane, I'm awfully sorry about Ms. Nash. And I'm awfully sorry we won't get to have our lesson. Truth be told, I was quite enjoying our time together, too. It was nice to have someone to dance with again."

As she spoke an idea popped into her head and she said,

"Dr. Crane, do you think it would be alright if I went to the ball with you? You've worked so hard and I'd hate to see it all go to waste."

His eyes widened and he stuttered, "Oh, oh, d-Daphne, that's so kind of you to offer, but you don't have to do that. I'm sure you have something better to do -"

"Better than go to get dressed up and go to a fancy ball with one of me best friends," she interrupted. "I don't think it gets much better than that."

"If you're really serious that you would like to go, then I would love to. It would be my great honor to accompany the most beautiful woman in all of Seattle to the Snow Ball," he replied.

She felt herself begin to blush a bit. She was fully aware that he had feelings for her. He was always saying those lovely things to her; and she always played it off like she didn't take him too seriously. It was easier that way. It made it less awkward for everyone. Although to be completely honest, when she really thought about it, it did annoy her just a tad that everyone really thought she was so daft. She'd have to be, not to see it. Bless his heart, but he was not exactly subtle. She saw the looks he gave her when he thought she wasn't looking – as well as the looks everyone else gave him when he was being too obvious. She noticed the way he noticed things about her; everything about her, actually.

She also knew that the elder Dr. Crane and Mr. Crane were so worried about her finding out because they were afraid that it would make her uncomfortable. But nothing could have been further from the truth. She knew that his feelings were genuine and she would be lying if she said that she had never allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone as wonderful as Dr. Crane. But she also knew that as wonderful and fairy-tale-like as it seemed in theory, the reality was that it would never work. They were much too different. He was a wealthy psychiatrist and a prominent member of Seattle society and she was a glorified housekeeper from a working class family in Manchester.

It wasn't that she didn't think highly of herself or that she didn't know her worth, it was just a fact. The same way the sky was blue and the grass was green, Niles Crane was out of her league. And now, she cherished their friendship so deeply that the risk of losing it was one she was not willing to take anyway. So she pretended not to notice the looks or understand the double-entendres that everyone seemed so giddy to make around them. She took in his compliments and let them warm her heart but then she tucked them away because she knew that allowing herself to revel in them completely would be going down a path that led to dangerous territory.

It was then that she was pulled out of her thoughts by the deafening silence and she realized that he was still waiting for an answer so she put on her biggest smile and said,

"Well, then it's a date!"


	4. Chapter 4

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Four

The next day Daphne woke up early to start preparing for the ball that night. Having only found out that she was attending the night before, she didn't have nearly as much time as she would have liked. She got to the store as soon as it opened and went in search of a dress. It took her almost no time at all because as soon as she got off the escalator her eyes fell upon the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen in her life. It was a beautiful shade of red that she knew would look wonderful against her skin, with a back that scooped all the way down to her behind and a slit that came up to her hip. It was the perfect mixture of sexy and elegant and she knew that she had to have it. She looked at the price tag and stopped breathing for a second but then she thought to herself,

" _What the hell? When's the next time I'm going to go to a ball?_ " 

The next thing on her list was shoes. Again she lucked out, because as soon as she entered the shoe department, she saw the perfect pair on the display shelf. She couldn't find them on the rack so she asked the employee for help and he informed her that they had sold out of those shoes and the only ones they had left were the display. She walked over and looked and sure enough, they were her size. The employee told her that she could take them and then handed her a sticker that said 'Display' on it. When she gave him a quizzical look he explained that if she showed the sticker to the cashier, they would give her a discount. She began to think that maybe this whole thing was meant to be. First she gets to go to a ball, then she finds the perfect dress, and then the perfect shoes – _and_ they're on sale?

" _This must be my lucky day,_ " she thought.

After going to the salon to get her hair done, she returned back home and immediately began to get ready. She put on just the right amount of makeup. It was very subtle and natural looking except for the bold red lip that she made sure to apply precisely before looking in the mirror and smiling. She was right – the color did match her dress perfectly. She took her dress out of the garment bag that was hanging from the back of her closet and stepped into it. She turned to look at herself in the mirror and thought,

"Dr. Crane is going to love this dress. He always pays me a compliment when I wear red." She paused and then thought with a bit of a chuckle, "And blue, and purple, and green…"

She walked over to her jewelry box and pulled out a pair of silver dangly earrings and then paused when she noticed her garnet studs. She hardly ever wore them because they were some of the only real jewelry that she owned and she was always afraid that she would lose them, so she tried to save them for special occasions. In fact, the last time that she had worn them was on Christmas and Dr. Crane had noticed them as soon as she opened the door. He had asked if they were new because he had never seen them before. When she had asked how he knew that he had never seen them, he replied immediately that he would have remembered if she had worn them before because of the way they made her eyes sparkle even more than usual. It was one of the sweetest things that anyone had ever said to her and it had made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter a bit. She decided that she was going to wear them again tonight, just for him. It occurred to Daphne then, how much Dr. Crane really did compliment her. Her hair, her eyes, her perfume, her jewelry. He was so kind and she wondered again how he didn't have every woman in Seattle vying for his attention.

She was almost ready and she gave herself one final look in the mirror. She was pleased with how everything had turned out and she sat down on her bed to put her shoes on. She had been so busy all day that she had only had time to sit in the car in between running all over town but now as she sat at the edge of her bed she took a deep breath and realized for the first time that she had butterflies in her stomach. She could admit, at least to herself, that she was nervous about being in a room full people in a much higher social class then she was. She also had to admit that the butterflies weren't just about nerves; she was also excited. This was her first ball and she was so excited to be going with Dr. Crane as her date.

" _It's not a real date though. Don't get so worked up over it,_ " she told herself. " _You're just two friends going out and having a nice time. You were just doing him a favor because he needed a night out and he was just doing you a favor because he could tell you were excited about the idea of going to a ball. That's all._ "

She took a deep breath and tried to relax and just then she heard the doorbell ring.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Five

At the sound of the doorbell, Daphne popped up off of the bed and darted out of her room. As she ran into the living room she saw Mr. Crane and Dr. Crane standing there arguing with one another about something. Had it been a normal evening, she would have taken the time to insert herself into the conversation and find out what was going on and then attempt to resolve the problem. She almost felt as though that had become one of the duties of her position for how often it ended up being necessary. But tonight she was simply too excited to pay the two of them any mind and she walked right past them to answer the door.

When she opened the door and saw Dr. Crane standing there, her first thought was that he looked incredibly handsome in his suit. She didn't even have time to pay him the compliment out loud as he beat her to the punch. As he handed her a single red rose that matched the color of her dress almost perfectly, he said,

"Wow!"

She felt herself blush a bit as she took in the compliment and accepted the rose from him. Before she could respond, Dr. Crane said,

"Our carriage awaits."

She turned back to look at Mr. and Dr. Crane, who had a look of absolute bewilderment on his face. As she moved to exit the apartment, Mr. Crane, in the stern voice of a father sending a warning to his daughter's prom date, said,

"And you'd better get her home at a decent hour. I'm going to be waiting up for you!"

Daphne looked at Dr. Crane and chuckled as they walked into the hallway and in the few seconds that it took for the elevator to reach the nineteenth floor, she felt her heart fill with love for the hard-shelled ex-cop who had come to love and know her in a way that not even her biological father had ever taken the time to. Although he rarely came right out and said it, it was moments like these, when he let his guard down and showed her how he felt about her, that she knew that he considered her to be another one of his children. Out of all of the things that she was grateful for in her life and of all the reasons she was pleased with her decision to come to America, being welcomed into this family was at the top of the list.

She was so lost in her thoughts that the next thing she knew, the elevator doors were opening and Dr. Crane had placed his hand out in front of him as if to say 'ladies first'. The elevator had come so quickly and she had been so distracted that they still hadn't said anything to one another. She looked over at him and thought again about how smart he looked, then said,

"You know, Dr. Crane, you really look quite handsome this evening."

Without missing a beat, Dr. Crane looked directly into her eyes and replied,

"Thank you, Daphne, and you are the most exquisite thing that I have ever seen."

His words made her breath catch in the back of her throat and made her stomach drop like she was on a rollercoaster. It was then that she realized that his compliments often caused her to have that reaction. She also realized that on top of that reaction, she felt a strange sense of pride. Almost like the feeling that you get when you've worked really hard for something and you finally accomplish it. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt that way until an unwelcome little voice in the back of her head spoke up and said,

"Because you dressed this way for him. The red dress was for him, the garnet earrings were for him, the perfume you're wearing was for him, you picked the shoes because you thought he'd like them, you did your hair the way you know he always compliments you on. You did this all for him and he noticed."

The thought sent a chill down her spine and she wondered if that was really true.

" _Well, of course it's true. It's your own conscience talking,_ " she thought.

The whole idea made her a little uncomfortable so as the elevator doors opened to the lobby she made a conscious effort to put the thoughts out of her mind so that she could fully enjoy her evening. Because really, when was she ever going to have a night like this again?

…

As they entered the ball room, Daphne looked around and felt the breath leave her body. It was the most magnificent thing that she had ever seen. The room was decorated so elegantly with subtle lighting and white flowers everywhere. There was a full band playing soft, romantic music and all of the people were dancing.

"Oh, Dr. Crane. It's so beautiful," she said, not bothering to keep the amazement out of her voice.

"Uh, just for tonight, could you call me Niles," he asked nervously.

"You know, when I was at school I knew a boy named Niles and I called him 'Niley'," she replied, teasing him just a bit.

"Just for tonight could you call me Niles," he repeated. "You're a vision. Everyone's staring at you."

"Well, you look awfully handsome yourself, Niles," she said with a smile.

It felt very strange to call him that but she thought that it would be easy enough to get used to. It almost felt natural in some way. He was one of her best friends and if she really thought about it logically, it was actually strange that she didn't use his first name.

"Would you like some champagne," he asked her.

"That would be lovely," she replied.

"Be back in a moment," he said as he began to walk toward the bar.

Daphne turned toward the table and sat down in her seat but then turned her attention back to Dr. Crane. He was engaged in a conversation with a couple by the bar and she could tell from his body language that he was not enjoying it in the slightest. She wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to rescue him so she rose from her chair and walked across the room to join him. As she got closer she could hear the man say something about Dr. and Mrs. Crane and then she heard the woman say,

"Oh yes, we were just devastated. Positively everyone is talking about it."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet and dripping with insincerity. Daphne felt the anger bubbling up within her and she was about to say something but before she could, Dr. Crane replied,

"Oh, and how is positively everyone?"

"Devastated," the woman replied, in an even phonier voice than before. "We were just saying that to Maris when we ran into her and Barclay Paxton at the Breeder's Cup."

The nerve! She was really going to give this woman a piece of her mind now. But before she had the chance, the husband chimed in with,

"No, no, no she was with Carlo Rinaldi at the Breeder's Cup."

"Well, it's so hard to keep track. Anyway, Niles, if there's anything we can do to cheer you up, just let us know," the woman said to Dr. Crane.

And before Daphne even had a chance to think of what to say to them, they were gone, leaving her to stand there and marvel at what skill it must take to speak words that in and of themselves sound harmless and even sympathetic and yet still make them come off as venomous as a snake bite.

Then she heard Dr. Crane mutter under his breathe,

"Perhaps a murder-suicide pact."

She chuckled internally his ability to verbalize all of the anger and frustration she had felt on his behalf into one concise and witty sentence. Then she said,

"Well, they weren't very nice."

"Well, everyone in our set seems to have this idea that while Maris is out living the high life I'm sitting at home, crushed and lonely," he replied in a somewhat perturbed voice.

She felt awful for him and decided that she was going to do her best to make sure that he had the most enjoyable evening of his life and that by the end of the night, every person in the room knew that Niles Crane was doing just fine. She took hold of his hand and led him to the dance floor as she said,

"Yeah, well, never mind those gossipy twits. Tonight, you're all mine. Now, take me in your arms, Niles. Let the music carry us away."


	6. Chapter 6

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Six

As they danced together, Daphne was very impressed with how well Dr. Crane was doing. It seemed as though their lessons had really paid off. She found herself thinking back to the lessons and the time that they had spent together over the last few days. She felt that something had changed between them and she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different, she just knew that _something_ was.

It occurred to her that she had had more fun in these past few days with him than she had had in a long time. And it wasn't just because she got to dance again, it was because she was with him. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he made her laugh more than anyone she could think of. And she certainly loved to make him laugh. In fact she went out of her way to do it most of the time. She felt as though he needed it sometimes what with how miserable he had been lately. If she was really honest with herself, it was as much for her as it was for him. She loved the sound of his laugh. They had laughed quite a bit during their lessons. But she had never laughed at him – no matter how silly he looked sometimes. She was very careful of that. She didn't want to make him anymore self-conscious than he already was. She could tell that he was going way outside of his comfort zone and she got the distinct impression that, like almost every other time he had ever done it, he was doing it for her. She was touched that he was willing to look silly in front of her. It warmed her heart that he was that comfortable with her because she knew how much it took for him to let his guard down and really trust someone. She trusted him, too – more than anyone else.

Of course, not laughing at him and not yelling at him were two different stories. She considered herself a patient person for the most part but there had been one time during the course of their lessons that her temper got the better of her and she had snapped at him. She had felt guilty as soon as the words were out of her mouth and it only got worse when she looked at him and saw the pain behind his eyes. The thought that she had hurt him in anyway made her want to cut out her own tongue. She apologized profusely and he accepted without hesitation and they moved on. That was the way it always was when they bickered. In all honesty, she couldn't stand to be angry with him anymore than she could stand to have him angry with her. She was quite glad that this was the case because he was her best friend and when she didn't have him to turn to, she didn't know what to do.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a sudden awareness that the song had ended. The band began to play a new song; one that required the two of them to be much closer and sway much slower. Without hesitation, Dr. Crane put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. As soon as her body came into direct contact with his, she felt her heartbeat quicken. She suddenly became a bit lightheaded and felt as though she were going to float away.

In an attempt to ground herself, Daphne focused on her tuning into her senses. She started with sight. She could see the room around her filled with flowers and soft lights and out of the corner of her eye she could see his sandy blonde hair. She was overwhelmed by the urge to run her fingers through it. The thought startled her a bit and definitely did nothing to help her heart rate so she decided to move on to smell.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose. She smelled the light floral scent that wafted through the air as well as the lingering scent of the hors d'oeuvres that were being passed by the waiters but much more than anything else, she smelled his cologne. She would know that smell anywhere as it was the one he always wore. It smelled like sandalwood and musk and a hint of citrus and _him._ The thought sent a shiver down her spine and again did nothing for her heart so she tried sound next.

She heard the music of course and she tried to separate the instruments. She could make out the violin well enough and some of the brass instruments, but she wasn't well versed enough in music to get much farther than that. He would probably be able to name them all individually and tell her what notes they were playing and what made them sound the way that they did and how they all worked together to create the beautiful sounds that they were dancing to at that very moment. But she didn't want to ruin the moment by asking him, so she focused on trying to hear something else. She could hear his voice. She realized that he was humming, ever-so-softly, along with the music. It made her smile and proved to be quite effective in calming her down so she focused on that for a while.

Of course, she was nothing if not a glutton for punishment so when the thought popped into her head that she should focus on what she could feel, she did just that. And boy, was that a mistake because as soon as she tapped into it, she felt everything all at once. She felt his breath on her neck, his hair on her cheek, his heartbeat pounding so hard that she could feel it through his chest and inside her own, and more intense than any of the rest of it she could feel his arm around her waist and his hand on the small of her back. Once she focused on it, it felt as though it were on fire, scorching her through the material of her dress. She was almost convinced that she would find a burn mark there later. Once again her heart rate soared and she felt dizzy and nauseous. It was not however, an unpleasant feeling. In fact, it was so wonderful that she wanted to continue to feel it for the rest of her life – or at the very least, for the rest of the night.

…

Daphne was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't quite sure how many songs had been played but all of a sudden she was pulled from the paradise in her head by the sudden knowledge that the band had stopped playing. She felt Dr. Crane's arm loosen around her and they both took a step back. She looked around and for the first time in an alarmingly long time, she noticed that the room was filled with other people and it was not, in fact, just the two of them as she had been feeling it was for quite a while.

Somewhere in her mind there was an awareness that she was treading on dangerously thin ice. It had been much too easy to allow herself to get caught up in the moment and she knew that she had to stop before she got too carried away. Knowing and doing however, were two separate things because before she could catch herself, she said,

"Oh, I can't remember when I've had a better time. I'm on cloud nine."

"I'd have to look down to see cloud nine," he replied. "Daphne, I must tell you again: that is an exquisite gown."

Once again, without thinking, she said,

"Oh, thanks. It was way out of me price range but did you ever see something and say 'I just have to have it?'"

As soon as it was out of her mouth she felt like someone had doused her with a bucket of cold water. She didn't mean for it to come out that way and she knew that he knew that, but it still proved to be quite awkward. It also proved to be quite effective for pulling her out of the haze that she had been in since they entered the ball.

She once again had her feet firmly planted in reality and she knew that she had to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. She decided the best way to do that was to act like she normally did, so she pretended that the double meaning behind her words was completely lost on her. Dr. Crane, however seemed to take a bit longer to recover.

"Where's my chair, oh," he said as he found his seat.

As soon as he sat down, Daphne heard the band begin to play a tango. She decided that giving him one last dance lesson would be the perfect distraction and a great way to get her mind off of these feelings that seemed to have come out of nowhere and were proving very difficult to get rid of.

"Oh, a tango," she exclaimed as she grabbed his hand.

"Oh, you never taught me a tango."

"Oh, you'll love it. It's perfect for you. This is a passionate, full-blooded dance that rose up from the slums of Buenos Aires."

"Well, the parallels between me and an unemployed gaucho aside I think we probably should just sit this one out."

He certainly wasn't making this easy. She knew that they had to dance because if they just sat at the table at talked with one another, she had no idea if she would be able to control what came out of her mouth. Then it occurred to her that _that_ was what was different. Nothing about the way that she felt was different, it was just that fact that she wasn't able to control it anymore. She couldn't turn it on and off and only think about it when she was alone and it was convenient. Now the thoughts had a mind of their own and they were choosing to make themselves known at the most inconvenient of times.

She definitely needed a distraction. They were dancing, whether he liked it or not!

"Nonsense. There's only one rule in the tango. Our bodies must be in continuous contact with not a sliver of daylight between us."

Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best distraction after all, but something was better than nothing. Right?

"I can do that," he said.

They began to dance but she could feel the tension coming from him.

"Loosen up. Don't be afraid," she instructed. "Daphne won't let anything happen to you."

"I don't think…" he began hesitantly.

"Don't think, just feel. You're an Argentine slum-dweller. You have no house, no car. You don't know where you're next meal is coming from," she said trying to get him out of his head and into the fantasy, "But none of that matters because tonight, we have the tango!"

"Oh, mama, I've got it all!"

He was much better at the tango than she was expecting. In fact, he was a natural. She became aware that everyone else in the room had stopped dancing and were now staring at them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the snobby couple from earlier by the bar and the thought occurred to her that they should put on a little show, just to spite them. But the thought was soon forgotten because she turned her head ever-so-slightly and saw Dr. Crane and then she felt him tug at her before he spun her around and pulled her close to him. They were so in sync with each other – both knowing the next move the other was going to make without having to say it out loud. It was like they were reading each other's minds. She didn't know how to explain it other than that they were connected somehow and it was incredible.

He was doing so well but she still felt the slightest bit of tension in him so she said,

"That's it! You're dazzling! You're brilliant! But I feel you're holding back."

"I am," he replied.

"This is no time for inhibitions."

"I know!"

And then, without thinking, she said

"Let it out, Niles. Let everything out."

"Oh, Daphne. I adore you!"

It should have shocked her. It should have stopped her in her tracks. But it didn't. After all, he wasn't telling her anything that she didn't already know. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to finally hear it. And before she could stop it, she replied,

"I adore you, too!"

"What?"

She hadn't been able to stop herself the first time but she really should have been able to the second time. The level of disbelief in his voice should have knocked her back into reality. But she couldn't and it didn't, so she repeated just as sincerely as the first time,

"I adore you, too."

The look of incredulousness on his face was immediately replaced by one of sheer joy.

"Oh, how I've longed to hear those words," he said.

"Oh, how I've longed to say them."

"You're beautiful. You're a goddess."

Her heart felt as if it were going to burst. She couldn't remember a time when she had been this happy.

"Oh, I don't ever want this moment to end," she said dreamily.

"Then let's not let it," he said.

He spun her around the floor as if they had been doing it for years. They danced in perfect rhythm with each other as the song built to its crescendo. It felt like it was happening in slow motion and yet it was over in an instant.

As Daphne rose to look him in the eye, he said to her,

"This is the most glorious night of my life."

"Oh, mine too," she replied.

And then it happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Seven

She didn't know who had started it, all she knew was that it was happening. She was kissing Niles Crane and it was incredible. It was like nothing that she had ever experienced. It felt wonderful, and magical, and good, and _right._

But it shouldn't feel that way. She shouldn't feel any of these things toward Dr. Crane. Reality came crashing down on her and she was bombarded with memories of what had happened only minutes before…

 _"Oh, Daphne. I adore you!"_

 _"I adore you, too."_

 _"Oh, how I've longed to hear those words"_

 _"Oh, how I've longed to say them."_

 _"You're beautiful. You're a goddess."_

 _"This is the most glorious night of my life."_

 _"Oh, mine too."_

Her blood ran cold as she realized what she had done. She had let her guard down and allowed her feelings to come to the surface. She knew that she had let her heart to get the better of her and now Dr. Crane was going to pay the price. She was going to have to break his heart. She didn't want to but she knew that if she gave into her feelings and began a relationship with him, it would never work out and he would end up with a broken heart anyway. It seemed like the better option to break his heart a little bit now rather than shatter it into a million pieces later on.

Her mind began to race at a million miles an hour while she tried to figure out how to make it all better. She wanted to let him down as gently as possible to spare his feelings as much as she could and to make sure that their friendship stayed intact. Ideas popped into her head as quickly as they were discarded and then she saw the snooty couple sitting at their table staring at the two of them and looking completely shocked. That was it! She could pretend it was all a show and give him the out of pretending the same thing. At least this way he could walk away with his dignity and maybe it would help offset the pain a bit.

"Daphne, I'm a new man. Do you have any idea what I'm feeling," he asked as they sat back down at their table.

His words tore through her as though she had taken a bullet straight to the heart. How could she have been so reckless? She had always been so careful about making sure that he never found out that she knew about his feelings and she had been doubly careful about making sure that she never gave even a hint about her feelings towards him. And now she had ruined it all and given him false hope. She felt like the worst person in the world but she knew what she had to do.

She was almost convinced that it was going to hurt her just as much as it would hurt him but she knew that she had to do it now; before his hopes became even higher. It would be just like removing a Band-Aid.

 _Take a deep breath, brace yourself for the pain…_

"Of course I do. Your friends look positively dumbstruck. From now on there'll be no more of that 'poor Niles attitude'," she began.

"Far from it," he replied.

 _And rip…_

"I knew you were a good dancer, but I had no idea you were such a good actor," she said.

"Actor," he replied, obviously a bit confused.

"Daphne you're a goddess. Daphne I adore you," she mimicked. "We fooled everyone didn't we?"

She could only look at him for a split second because the instant she saw the pain in his eyes, the knowledge that she was the one that put it there had her wanting to take it all back and give into her desire to jump back into his arms and kiss him again. So she looked down at the table and waited for his response.

"We certainly did, didn't we," he said, sounding more defeated and depressed than she had ever heard him.

There was a deafening silence that followed and it lasted for what seemed like an eternity. For every second that passed, she felt her inability to continue with the charade multiply ten-fold. Just when she thought that she couldn't stand it any longer, he said,

"I think we should be heading home. I don't want to incur the wrath of Dad if I'm late dropping you off."

Daphne agreed and they were on their way. The ease of being with one another that they normally enjoyed had disappeared completely and neither one of them was sure what to say, so they remained silent.

A feeling that she could not describe had come over her and she tried desperately to figure out what would help it go away. She realized that what she really wanted to do was cry but she knew that she couldn't cry in front of Dr. Crane so instead she focused on replaying the events of the evening over and over again in her mind, trying to pinpoint exactly where she had gone wrong.

She was so lost in her thoughts that the next thing she knew, she was standing in the elevator of the Elliot Bay Towers and the doors had opened in front of apartment 1901. She stepped out into the hallway with her mind trying to catch up and remember how she had gotten there.

As they stood in front of the door, Daphne found herself at a loss for what to say to him. She so desperately wanted everything to go back to normal and she finally decided that the best thing to do would be to put all of her feelings aside and act the way she normally would. She tried her best to act as nonchalant and carefree as possible as she thanked him for the evening and wished him a good night.

Much to her relief, he seemed to take his cue from her and he acted much more like himself as he returned her sentiments and then thanked her for accompanying him to the ball and for all the time that she had spent on his lessons.

She watched him step into the elevator before she turned and unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Eight

As Daphne entered the apartment, she registered that it was dark and silent and she immediately made an effort to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone. Her mind was still reeling and she was still trying desperately to pinpoint this feeling. Having determined in the car that crying was what she felt like doing, she mentally gave herself permission to give in to the urge now that she was alone. But try as she might, and despite every ounce of herself that desperately wanted to, she could not cry. Not a single tear escaped her eyes. It was as if they were stuck.

By the time she made it across the apartment into her bedroom, she had given up trying to force the tears out. She opened her bedroom door and stepped inside. She immediately began to undress and after putting her shoes and jewelry away and hanging her dress in its garment bag, she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She stepped into the hot water and took a deep breath in. As she released it, she hoped all of her troubles and worries would float out with it and melt into the steam that swirled around her. No such luck. Her lungs were emptied of their oxygen but her heart was still just as heavy. Images of the evening flooded her mind; how handsome Dr. Crane had looked, how big his smile had been while they were dancing, the wounded look in his eye when she had called him an actor. With each image of him that passed through her mind, the need to cry became bigger and more intense. But still, not one tear would budge.

As the water began to lose its heat, Daphne decided to get out. After she had dried off and put on her robe she stepped back into her bedroom. She was still lost in her thoughts when she saw something sparkling out of the corner of her eye. She looked over and realized that it was her earrings catching the light. The earrings that Dr. Crane had admired and complimented so many times. She made her way across the room and went to pick them out of the heart-shaped ceramic jewelry dish that her niece had made for her last Christmas. As she lifted them out of the dish, she accidentally knocked it off of her vanity and sent it crashing down onto the floor where it broke into three pieces.

" _Oh, bloody hell,_ " she thought to herself. " _Now look what you've done. You've broken your heart!_ "

The thought stopped her in her tracks and she froze in the halfway crouched position that she had assumed to clean up the shards.

" _Is that what this feeling is? Am I heartbroken,_ " she thought to herself. " _No, that can't be it. I can't have broken heart. I might have feelings for Dr. Crane, but I'm not in love with him._ "

" _Yes, you are,_ " a second voice in her head answered back.

There was no use in denying it. It was her own voice that was telling her after all. She was in love with Dr. Crane. The moment the realization hit her, the tears began to fall. She left the broken dish on the floor where it had landed and crawled into her bed. She let the sobs come as they pleased and only willed herself to stay quiet enough that she would not wake Dr. or Mr. Crane.

The more she thought about Dr. Crane – Niles; he had asked her to call him Niles. Of course that was before she had broken his heart. Poor Niles. Her broken heart broke even more every time she thought of how he must be feeling. How could she have done this to him? He was the kindest, sweetest, and most gentle and loving man she had ever met and she had hurt him so much. He must have been so confused. To be led to believe that she shared his feelings and then be made to think it was all an act. She wondered if he was sitting alone in his apartment suffering with a broken heart just as she was right at that very moment. She could almost picture him sitting on his fainting couch all by himself in that big apartment, feeling lonely and hurt. The image was too much for her to bear.

She knew what she had to do. She rose from the bed and put on a pair of jeans. She reached for a purple sweater before she realized that she had worn it the week before and he had told her that it made her eyes look even more beautiful than usual. So she put it back and grabbed a yellow shirt. She had it halfway over her head before she heard his voice in her head telling her that the color reminded him of a type of tropical flower that he had seen on his last vacation and that they were only slightly less beautiful than she was. The memories sliced through her like a knife. She finally settled on a light blue long-sleeved shirt that she didn't have any clear memory of him ever complimenting but that was probably because she almost never wore it.

After she was dressed, she walked out her bedroom door and through the apartment as quietly as possible. She grabbed her keys off of the cabinet by the door and slipped out into the hall. She second guessed herself dozens of times before she had even made it to her car but every time she came to the same conclusion. She owed him an explanation.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Moon Dances and the Tide Changes**

Chapter Nine

…

Author's Note:

This is the final chapter of the story. If you've made it this far, I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This experience has been so wonderful for me. It has truly opened my eyes to how much I enjoy writing. Please feel free to leave a comment and any constructive criticism because I would love to be able to grow and develop my writing as much as possible!

Also, I just realized that I never put a disclaimer in the A/N of the first chapter so I'm going to put one here.

***Disclaimer*** I do not own any of the characters or dialog from the series 'Frasier'. All rights belong to the creators and producers of the show.

…

As she pulled up in front of the Montana, her heart was beating so wildly that she could hear it in her ears and feel it in her fingertips. Her certainty in her decision did not make it any less terrifying. She got out of her car and walked onto the sidewalk and through the doors. Much like it had been earlier that evening at the apartment, she suddenly realized that she was standing in front of his door with no real recollection of how she got there. She took a moment to steady herself and she decided that she would try her very best not to cry. She knew that no matter how much she had hurt him, the second he saw her upset in anyway, he would try to comfort her and she wanted to be the one to comfort him this time.

She took a deep breath and rang the bell. After a few seconds she heard some movement inside and as it got louder she realized that he was coming to the door. When the door opened and she saw him standing on the other side, the first thing that she registered was the look of shock on his face. The second thing she registered were his red rimmed eyes and just like that, her plan to not cry flew out the window.

"Oh, Dr. Crane! I'm so sorry," she cried.

"Daphne! What's the matter? Please come inside," he said as he reached out to her and guided her into his apartment and onto his fainting couch.

As she continued to cry, his panic increased and when he could no longer take it he implored her to talk to him.

"Daphne, please tell me what the problem is and I will try my best to help you."

She cried harder.

"Have I done something to upset you? Please tell me what it is that is bothering you? Is someone hurt? Is it dad? Or Frasier?"

Sensing that he was about to go into a full blown panic attack, she swallowed her tears and replied, "I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane. Everyone is fine. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I can't imagine what you must think of me; showing up on your doorstep in the middle of the night crying like a lunatic and not saying a word to you."

"It's quite alright, Daphne. Just as long as I know you're okay. But something is clearly the matter. Please tell me what it is."

His voice was so soothing and gentle. It was the voice he almost always used when addressing her. It sent shivers down her spine and gave her goosebumps. He reached out and placed his hand on top of hers. The contact took her breath away and she lost the ability to think. He must have seen or felt the goosebumps because the next thing she knew he was asking if she was chilly and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. He was so kind that it brought tears to her eyes again. She watched him as he sat back down next to her and when he was fully seated, their eyes met. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally she realized that he must be curious as to why she had shown up at his home in the middle of the night and she resolved get on with what she had come here to do. She took a deep breath and began.

"Dr. Crane. I have to tell you something. It's something very important and I need you to let me get through it without any interruptions because I'm afraid I might lose me nerve at any moment. Okay?"

He nodded and said, "Okay, Daphne. Whatever you need."

"I'm not sure where to start really. I guess there's no real way to ease into this so here it is: I know about your feelings for me. I have known for quite some time. I've seen the way you look at me and I've taken note of all of the compliments and kind words you've paid me over the years. I just pretended not to notice because it made things less complicated for everyone. There's no way it could end in anything other than heartbreak…"

"Daphne," he interjected, "I know I said I wouldn't interrupt but I see what you're getting at and I don't want to make it anymore awkward for you than I already have. I apologize from the bottom of my heart if I've ever made you feel uncomfortable in anyway. I had no idea that you were aware of my feelings but I completely understand that you don't share them. I promise you that I would never act on them or intentionally make you feel uncomfortable and I truly hope that we can still be friends because your friendship means more to me than anything…"

Her mind was playing catch up but as soon as she was able to comprehend what he had said, she interrupted him mid-sentence. "Dr. Crane. You don't understand. I'm so sorry I'm not explaining this well," she paused and then looked him straight in the eye before she continued. "You have never for one second made me feel uncomfortable. I've cherished every word that you've ever spoken to me. You are so kind and thoughtful and you make me feel like the most special person in the world. You are truly the most wonderful man that I've ever known. You see, it's not that I don't share your feelings. It's that I wouldn't allow myself to even entertain the thought. You and I are two very different people with two very different lives. You and your friends are so sophisticated, and cultured, and educated and I'm just a physical therapist from a poor family in England. It would never work."

"Daphne! You stop that this instant," he said. He almost sounded as if he were scolding her and it took her back a bit. "Do not ever put yourself down like that. You are so much more than that. You are kind, and compassionate, and loving, and strong, and smart, and none of those sophisticated, cultured, educated ninnies – myself included – could match even an nth of the beauty that you possess in your heart. You're an incredible person, Daphne. The most incredible person that I have ever known."

The sincerity with which he spoke to her – about her – touched her deeply. "Dr. Crane," she began with an unsteady voice, full of emotion.

"Wait," he said, "I need to know, Daphne. Are you telling me that you share my feelings?"

She couldn't lie to him. She didn't want to lie to him. She had come here to tell him the truth and so she did. "Yes," she replied, "I do."

He took a deep breath and she felt an urgency to tell him the rest of what she needed to before he got his hopes up any higher.

"Niles."

The use of his first name got his attention and he looked right at her.

"Niles," she repeated, "I do have feelings for you but it doesn't change the fact that I know this will never work. We are too different."

A look of desperation overtook his face for just a moment before it was replaced with one of determination. "Daphne, did you mean what you said to me tonight at the ball? That you adored me and that you didn't want the night to end? That it was the best night of your life?"

"Yes," she replied a bit hesitantly and on the verge of crying, "I meant it."

"And did you feel it?"

"Feel what," she looked down at the ground as she answered, the tears dangerously close to spilling out now.

He placed two fingers under her chin and brought her face back up so that they could look into one another's eyes. "You felt it when we kissed, too. Didn't you?"

The memory of that kiss invaded her mind and sent tingles through her whole body. Despite her best efforts, the tears fell. As she looked into his eyes all she could do was nod her head.

"Okay, then all the differences in the world don't matter. I believe this will work despite those differences because I love you, Daphne. I have loved you from the minute I laid eyes on you. Doesn't that tell you something? Before I knew your name or what you did or where you were from or any differences that we could have possibly had, I fell head over heels, deeply and madly in love with you. And when I learned your name, I thought it was the most beautiful name in the world and I fell a little more in love with you. And when I learned what you did, I thought it was wonderful how you helped people and I fell a little more in love with you. And when I learned where you were from, I thought it was incredible how brave you were to have moved to a new country all by yourself to start a new life and I fell a little more in love with you. Everything I learn about you, Daphne, I fall a little more in love with you. That will never change. If you are willing to give us a chance then so am I because I believe that this will work."

He looked at her with hopeful eyes and as she looked through her tears, she saw the face of the man that she loved. The face of the man that she couldn't live without and in that instant she knew with the same certainty he did that it _would_ work.

"I love you so much, Niles Crane."

Before he even knew what was happening, she was kissing him. As soon as their lips touched they felt the same feeling that they had earlier that night at the Snow Ball, but this time it grew and intensified until it was almost unbearable. When they both felt they couldn't take it anymore they broke apart for oxygen but they soon realized that as intense as the feeling was, the need to feel it again was even more so. They reached out for one another and wrapped their arms around each other so tightly that they were practically one. Their lips met again and it was just as intense as it had been before. As they broke apart to catch their breath the second time, they looked at one another. Niles reached up and tucked Daphne's hair behind her ear. Daphne reached up and placed her hand over his. They stared into each other's eyes and they both understood in that moment that there was no going back.

Niles spoke first, "I love you so much, Daphne."

"I love you, too, Niles."

Daphne's hand was still placed overtop of Niles'. She brought both their hands down to her lap and then laced her finger though his. She stood up and pulled him up alongside her. She led him up the stairs and down the hallway to his bedroom. He followed silently, almost in amazement, and certainly in fear that if he spoke or made a wrong move, he would awaken from this blissful dream that he was having. The hand that was not intertwined with his reached for the doorknob and he laid his free hand on top of hers. When she turned back to look at him, he asked,

"Are you sure, my love?"

She pulled both hands out of his and placed one on either side of his face.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she replied, "I love you."

And she meant it. She was sure of everything now. She was meant to be with Niles and it was going to work.


End file.
